Method and apparatus for high pressure water treatment of the inside of a pipe section

ABSTRACT

Material lining the inside surface of a section of pipe is removed by a hydrodemolition nozzle assembly mounted on a working end of an elongated boom. The opposed end of the boom is supported outside the pipe on a movable support for inserting and retracting the boom from the inside of the pipe. The nozzles remove the liner while the working end of the boom is supported by a wheel resting on the liner that has not yet been removed and that rolls along the inside liner as the pipe is made to revolve around the boom. The nozzles are oriented to eject the liner and water downstream and away from the boom.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No.2,853,738, filed Jul. 14, 2014. All claims of priority to thisapplication are hereby made, and this application is hereby incorporatedin its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating the insideof a section of pipe to remove liners by hydrodemolition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Removing degraded coatings and liners is the first step toreconditioning the inside surface of a pipe and is performed before newcoatings or liners are applied. The inside surfaces of some larger pipesmay be reconditioned while the pipes remain in the ground. Such may bethe case for example for sewer pipes. In other cases, for exampleremoving and replacing the insider liners of oil pipelines, sections ofpipe are removed from the pipeline, collected and delivered to bereconditioned at a remote location.

High pressure water may be used to remove the inside liners of pipes byhydrodemolition, namely by fluid blasting the exposed surface todisintegrate and remove the liners. In the case of embedded or installedpipes, it is generally known to mount hydrodemolition nozzles on robotsor to tow separate high pressure water nozzle assemblies along theinside of the pipeline by remote controlled tractors. The robot or thetractor moves along the inside of the pipe while the nozzles treat theinside surfaces. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.8,394,205 and WO 00/06312, both to MacNeil et al.

The use of in-pipe robots or tractors is inconvenient in the case ofpipe sections that are short and small enough to be transported to aremote location to be treated. Robots and tractor systems requirerepeatedly reinstalling the robot or tractor assembly within successiverelatively short pipe sections, in each case reattaching hoses andresetting the apparatus for the new pipe section to be worked. In oilpipeline reconditioning as in the case of many other types of pipes,reducing the turn-around time is of primary importance to the customer.

Treating the inside of a pipe using high pressure water nozzles alsorequires providing sufficient articulation and movement of the nozzlesor nozzle assemblies to enable the water to work the entirecircumferential area within the pipe. Various articulation arrangementshave been proposed. One example is E.P. 1,565,279 to MacNeil et al. thatdiscloses a wheeled frame that supports opposed pivotable and extendiblearms, the distal ends of which comprise nozzle assemblies.

The use of various materials to line conduits such as pipelines and thelike is well known and essential in many industries. For instance, inthe field of piping crude or diluted bitumen from tar sands extractionto a storage facility or refinery, the internal surface of the metalpipe segments (each segment being typically 50 feet in length) thatcomprise the pipeline are often lined with a layer of a rubber compound(usually about 0.25 inches thick) that is adhered to the metal on theinside of the pipe, followed by a urethane layer (usually about 0.75inches thick) that is adhered to the rubber layer. In otherapplications, the lining material may vary in thickness, composition orin other aspects. The lining of the pipelines wears or deteriorates overtime, and it becomes necessary to periodically remove and replace theaffected pipe segments in the pipeline. Being of different materials andthickness, each of the two layers requires a different set of operatingconditions for its removal. A urethane layer having a thickness of about0.75 inch may typically be removed by a single pass of water jets thatare mounted within a few inches of the surface of the urethane and at apressure of 15,000-20,000 psi. The number of nozzles may be varied sothat a given area of surface is targeted by more than nozzle insuccession thereby varying the operational parameters required tocompletely remove the urethane. The subsequent removal of an underlyingrubber liner that is about 0.25 inch thick may be accomplished by asingle pass using ultra-high water pressures of about 40,000 psi (usingdifferent nozzles). In fact, the individual layers may be removedvariously using either high or ultra-high pressure water depending onoperational parameters that include the distance of the nozzle from thesurface, the number of passes by a nozzle, the debit volume from thenozzle, the spray pattern, movement or spinning of the nozzle and thedwell time. As a result, a first pass is typically conducted along thepipe section to remove the urethane layer using a first set of nozzlesor operational parameters, followed by a second pass, using a second setof nozzles or operational parameters.

The use of high and ultra-high pressure water results in a significantamount of water and other debris (including shredded liner or pieces ofliner), being displaced within the pipe, as well as introducingsignificant lateral stresses on the nozzle assemblies.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus fortreating the inside surface of pipe sections by hydrodemolition in anefficient manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method andapparatus for efficiently removing the interior surface liners of pipesections that have at least two layers of liner using hydrodemolition.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood byreference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment whichfollows. Note that the objects referred to above are statements of whatmotivated the invention rather than promises. Not all of the objects arenecessarily met by all embodiments of the invention described below orby the invention defined by each of the claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In aspects of the invention, a section of pipe is mounted for rotationabout the longitudinal axis of the pipe. An elongated boom is supportedat one end outside the pipe. An opposed working end of the boom isintroduced into the pipe. At least one hydrodemolition high pressurewater nozzle is mounted at the working end of the boom and is directedagainst the inner surface of the pipe to disintegrate a liner on theinside surface of the pipe by hydrodemolition. During treatment of theinside surface of the pipe by the hydrodemolition nozzle, the boom andthe nozzle remain in a substantially stationary orientation while thepipe is revolved around the boom. The working end of the boom issupported against the inside of the pipe by at least one wheel or rollerhaving an axis of rotation that is parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe boom. The nozzle(s) is(are) angled toward the far end of the pipe sothat water and debris are preferentially expelled from the far end ofthe pipe throughout the operation.

The boom is gradually retracted from the pipe, while the water anddebris continue to be expelled from the far end of the pipe. Retractionof the boom is enabled by the support wheel of the working end of theboom rolling circumferentially about the inside of the pipe while thepipe revolves, allowing the wheels to progress longitudinally along thepipe as the boom is retracted, provided the speed of retraction of theboom is not excessive.

The boom is stabilized by the support wheel against the bending momentscaused by the ejection of high pressure water from the nozzles, andpreferably by additional angularly spaced bracing wheels or rollers soas to effectively brace the working end of the boom against the linerinside the pipe in the event of swaying of the boom. The support andbracing wheels or rollers are positioned upstream of the nozzle(s) sothat they ride on liner that has not yet been removed as the working endof the boom progresses down the length of the pipe.

The structure supporting the end of the boom outside the pipe ismovable, preferably along rails, so as to gradually withdraw the boomfrom the pipe as the pipe continues to revolve around the boom andnozzle. Water and debris continue to be expelled preferentially from thefar end of the pipe during the retraction hydrodemolition operation dueto the angle of the nozzles.

In one aspect, an indexing system gradually withdraws the boom from thepipe at a rate selected to ensure that the liner is completely removedas the operation progresses. The rate of withdrawal of the boom iscoordinated with the speed of rotation of the pipe to prevent draggingthe support wheels sideways across the surface of the liner.

In another aspect, the nozzle assembly comprises a plurality of nozzlesare disposed in fixed angularly spaced positions about the working endof the boom for greater water jet coverage of the interior surface ofthe pipe as the pipe rotates.

In yet another aspect, selective use of a wheel with an axis of rotationthat is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boom allows theworking end of the boom to be introduced into and rolled from the end ofthe pipe adjacent the external boom support structure and toward to thefar end of the pipe. The wheel may be removed or retracted before theliner removal operation begins, or it may be selectively oriented toroll the working end of the boom on a support surface as it exits thepipe, or when re-oriented to act as a support wheel within the revolvingpipe.

In a further aspect of the invention, there may be provided an exitsupport platform for supporting the working end of the boom as it isbeing withdrawn from the pipe, but while the nozzle(s) have not yetcompletely removed the liner near the end of the pipe. The exit platformprovides a support surface for the removable wheel to roll onto at aheight that matches the liner surface on which the support wheel rests.The exit platform may further comprise additional support surfaces atsuitable elevations and angles for enabling the additional supportwheels to rest against the additional support surfaces when the workingend of the boom is exiting the pipe.

Water is supplied to each of the nozzles at the working end of the boompreferably by means of hoses. The boom may include brackets at spacedintervals along the length of the boom to retain the hoses.Alternatively, water may be supplied to the nozzle assembly by a conduitlocated within the boom.

The working end of the boom may include different sets of nozzles one ofwhich is downstream of the other to enable the removal of a firstsurface layer of liner using a first set of operating parameters and theremoval of the underlying layer using a second set of operatingparameters in a single pass. Where both high and ultra-high pressurewater is used, separate hoses or conduits are provided to supply thewater to the nozzle assemblies.

In a preferred embodiment, two pairs of nozzles are mounted at opposingends of a rotating arm downstream of other nozzles. The pairs of nozzlesare shielded from the water jets and debris from the high pressurenozzles.

In a further aspect, the invention is a method for removing an insideliner from a pipe by hydrodemolition using high pressure water, the pipehaving a proximal end and a distal end. The method comprises mountingthe pipe on a support structure for rotation of the pipe about itslongitudinal axis. An elongated boom is provided having at least onehigh pressure water nozzle at a first end of the boom, the boom andnozzle being insertable into said pipe. The first end of the boom isinserted into the pipe and an opposite end of the boom is supportedoutside the pipe such that the boom is aligned axially with thelongitudinal axis of the pipe. The first end of the boom is supported onthe liner inside the pipe on at least one roller having an axis ofrotation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. Simultaneously,the pipe is revolved about its longitudinal axis on its supportstructure, a high pressure water spray is produced from the nozzle in asubstantially fixed direction in relation to the boom to disintegratethe liner by hydrodemolition and the boom is retracted from the pipe asthe roller rolls circumferentially about the inside of the revolvingpipe. A rate of rotation of the pipe in relation to the speed ofretraction of the boom is selected and used to ensure substantially fullremoval of the liner as the pipe revolves while also enabling the rollerto travel along the circumference of the pipe without substantiallongitudinal friction.

In another aspect, the substantially fixed direction is at an anglebetween the longitudinal axis of the pipe and the radial direction andtoward the first end of the pipe so as to eject the liner and watertoward the distal end of the pipe.

In another aspect, prior to the step of inserting the boom into thepipe, the first end of the boom is supported on an inside liner at theproximal end of the pipe by means of at least one roller having an axisof rotation that is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the pipe, thefirst end of the boom is inserted into the proximal end of the pipe andtoward the distal end while rolling the first end of the boom on theroller along the liner; and prior to the step of simultaneouslyrevolving the pipe, the roller is removed from contact with the liner orthe axis of rotation of the roller is changed to be parallel to thelongitudinal axis.

In another aspect, as the first end of the boom exits the pipe, an exitplatform having a surface for supporting the one roller is used.

In another aspect, the exit platform further comprises at least oneadditional support surface for supporting an additional roller providedon the end of said boom.

In an apparatus aspect, the invention is a hydrodemolition apparatus forremoving a liner material from the inside surface of a cylindricalstructure, comprising a support for supporting the cylindrical structurein a horizontal orientation, a rotation mechanism cooperating with thesupport to enable the cylindrical structure to be rotated about alongitudinal axis of the structure and an elongated boom partiallyinsertable into the structure, a first end of the boom comprising one ormore nozzles oriented to deliver a high pressure jet of water to theliner to disintegrate the liner by hydrodemolition. A portion of theboom that is distal from the first end of the boom is supported outsideof the cylindrical structure and there is provided a displacementmechanism for displacing the boom in a longitudinal direction inrelation to the boom. The apparatus further comprises at least at leastone boom end support adjacent the first end of the boom, the boom endsupport being adapted to roll circumferentially along the inside of thecylindrical structure.

In another aspect, the boom end support comprises at least one supportroller having an axis of rotation that is parallel to a longitudinalaxis of the boom.

In another aspect, the one or more nozzles comprises a first set ofnozzles connected to a first source of high pressure water and a secondset of nozzles connected to a second source of high pressure water at adifferent pressure than the first source. The second set of nozzles isspaced from the first set of nozzles in a longitudinal direction of theboom.

In another aspect, there are further provided at least two bracingrollers radially spaced in relation to the first end of the boom, theaxis of rotation of the bracing rollers being parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the boom.

In another aspect, the support roller is spaced longitudinally away fromthe first end of the boom in relation to the location of the nozzles.

The foregoing was intended as a summary only and of only some of theaspects of the invention. It was not intended to define the limits orrequirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will beappreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferredembodiments. Moreover, this summary should be read as though the claimswere incorporated herein for completeness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described by reference to the detailed descriptionof the preferred and alternative embodiments thereof and to the drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a pipe section having two layers ofliner on the inside surface of the pipe;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the boom-mounted hydrodemolition systemand its external support structure and further showing the working endof the boom in a cut away of the pipe and the support wheels or rollersfor the working end of the boom;

FIG. 3 is side elevation of the boom-mounted nozzle assembly within apipe, with a cut-away showing the working end of the boom;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the view of a pipe looking into theworking end of the boom, showing support, bracing and a retractablewheels and layers of liner;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the boom mounted nozzle assembly and anexit platform as the boom-mounted nozzle assembly exits the pipe;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the displacement drive mechanism and chain forthe support structure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the working end of the boom and the exitplatform;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the working end of the boom-mountedassembly according to an embodiment of the invention that includes anultra-high pressure nozzle assembly, within a cut-away of a pipe;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the ultra-high nozzle assembly mountedon the working end of the boom;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the ultra-high nozzle assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a section of pipe 10 comprises an inside wall 12having a layer of rubber 14 adhered to the interior surface of the wall12 and a layer of urethane 16 adhered to the rubber layer 14. In FIG. 1,the wall 12, the rubber layer 14 and the urethane layer 16 appear asconcentric rings about a central pipe axis 18. Pipe segments of the kindillustrated are used in pipelines for conveying diluted bitumen after ithas been extracted from oil sands to a storage/shipping facility orrefinery. Typically, the pipe segments are about 50 feet long. As well,depending on the application of the pipeline, the pipe segments maycomprise only one layer of lining material, or they may have a pluralityof layers or lining material. Two layers are disclosed in relation tothe preferred embodiment but aspects of the invention may be practicedwith a single layer or more than two layers of various materials. Whilethe present invention is described and illustrated in application topipe used in pipelines for moving diluted bitumen, the scope of theinvention goes beyond those pipelines.

FIG. 2 illustrates an elongated rigid boom 19 according to a preferredembodiment. A nozzle assembly 20 is mounted at one end 22 (referred toherein as the “working end”) of the boom 19. A support structure 24maintains a proximal end 26 of the boom 19 at a suitable height toenable it to be introduced longitudinally into a section of pipe 10. Inthe preferred embodiment, the support structure 24 comprises a frame 28.

The support structure 24 preferably supports the end 30 of the boom thatis opposed to the working end 22. However, support may be provided at alocation other than at the very end 30, for example at a point closer tothe pipe 10, provided that a sufficiently long section of the boomremains unobstructed by the support structure so as to allow theintroduction of the boom into the pipe at the desired distance.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the working end 22 of the boom 19 issupported by support wheels 32 that extend downward from the boom alongits vertical axis to rest on the inside of the pipe 10. The axes ofrotation of the wheels 32 are parallel to the longitudinal axis 18 ofthe pipe and to the longitudinal axis 34 of the boom. Support wheels 32are spaced longitudinally inward along the boom compared to the locationof the one or more nozzles 42, 44, 46. That location ensures that thesupport wheels 32 will ride on liner that has not yet been removed bythe nozzles as the boom is retracted from the pipe. This minimizesobstructions to the wheels 32 from uneven joints, welds or defects thatmight be present on the base structure of the pipe.

Additional bracing wheels or rollers 36, 38, 40 have axes of rotationthat are also parallel to the longitudinal axis 18 of the pipe and tothe longitudinal axis 34 of the boom 19. Wheels 36, 38, 40 arepreferably arranged so as to be equally angularly spaced from oneanother around the longitudinal axis 34 of the boom 19. Such spacingallows bracing of the boom 19 against the inside liner 16 of the pipe 10and to maintain the boom substantially centered in the pipe while thepipe revolves around the boom. In the preferred embodiment, the bracingwheels 36, 38, 40 are recessed from the positions that would cause thewheels to constantly engage the liners, such that there is notnecessarily continuous contact of the additional wheels with the linersbut they can accommodate continuous or intermittent contact. Thisenables the insertion of the boom into pipes of slightly varyingdiameters. The bracing wheels 36, 38, 40 nonetheless ensure that theworking end 22 of the boom remains reasonably centered in relation tothe pipe as the working end of the boom reacts to the pressure of thewater being ejected from the nozzle assembly 20.

The boom 19 may comprise any suitable straight elongated member that iscapable of supporting the nozzle assembly 20, the hoses (discussedbelow) and the water they carry to supply the nozzles. The boom 19preferably comprises an elongated, rigid, hollow steel casing ofrectangular cross-section to provide the rigidity and stability neededto withstand the torques and dynamic stresses of high pressure andultra-high pressure water being ejected from the nozzle assembly 20.

The nozzle assembly 20 comprises at least one nozzle 42 mounted in afixed orientation on the working end 22 of the boom. In the preferredembodiment of the invention, the nozzle(s) do not rotate around theworking end 22 of the boom in order to treat the circumferential innersurface of the pipe. The nozzle(s) effectively remain directed at aspecific area while the pipe 10 revolves around the boom 19 and aroundthe nozzle assembly 20. However, the reference to a “fixed orientation”in this disclosure and in the claims should be taken to include thepossibility of the nozzle tip precessing about the nominal longitudinalaxis of the nozzle, as is known in the art of high pressure waternozzles used for hydrodemolition.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the preferred embodiment, the nozzle assembly 20comprises three nozzles 42, 44, 46 all being equally angularly spacedfrom one another with respect to the longitudinal axis 34 of the boom19. Each of the nozzles 42, 44 and 46 has a nominal (“nominal” toaccount for some precession) spray angle that is outward and away fromthe boom 19 (as best appreciated by reference to FIG. 3) such that thehigh pressure water is directed toward the inner surface of the pipe 10but away from the boom 19. The angle is between the longitudinal axisand the radial direction of the boom. The inventors have found that arelatively small angle of 30 degrees from the vertical is sufficient tocause any excess water and debris to be preferentially directed awayfrom the end of the working end of the boom.

Preferably each of the nozzles 42, 44, 46 is fed by a hose, exemplifiedby hose 48 in FIGS. 3 and 7. Brackets 50 are provided at spacedlocations along the length of the boom to support the hoses. In analternative embodiment, the boom is in the form of a hollow rectangularstructure and the hoses are housed within the cavity of the structurealong the length of the boom. In yet another embodiment, rigid watersupply conduits are provided within the body of the hollow member thatforms the boom 19.

The support structure 24 is mounted on rails (only one of which, 60, isvisible in the drawings) to guide and maintain the boom 19 in alignmentwith the pipe 10. A motor 62 is provided to index the boom supportstructure 24 and hence the boom 19 at a controlled speed for withdrawalfrom the pipe 10 in the direction shown by arrow 63. In the preferredembodiment, a chain 64 is secured to a position adjacent the pipe end 66of the rails 60 (see FIG. 5) and to a position 68 that is distal fromthe pipe along the rails to enable the boom to be drawn into or out ofthe pipe by indexing the support structure along the chain. In anembodiment, the support structure 24 tracks along the chain 64 by meansof a driven sprocket 70 and idlers 72. The indexing system graduallywithdraws the boom from the pipe at a rate selected to ensure that theliner is completely removed as the operation progresses. The rate ofretraction of the boom is coordinated with the speed of rotation of thepipe to prevent dragging the support wheels 32 sideways across thesurface of the liner, allowing the wheels 32 to instead track along theinner circumference of the pipe.

Embodiments of the invention generally comprise a support 80 thatsupports the pipe section 10 in a desired orientation, usuallyhorizontally, and a rotation mechanism 82 connected to or cooperatingwith the support 80 that enables rotation of, or actively rotates, thepipe 10 about its longitudinal axis 34, the rotation being indicated byarrow 84.

In the simplest of embodiments, the support 80 may comprise a one ormore frame members that are suitable for supporting the weight of asection of pipe 10 horizontally, and the rotation mechanism 82 maycomprise a plurality of wheels or rollers connected to the frame memberson which the pipe rests, wherein the axis of rotation of each roller isparallel to the longitudinal axis 34 of the pipe 10 so that the pipe maybe rotated about its axis 34. In more elaborate embodiments, the support80 may comprise a stacking and conveying apparatus that is able to storea plurality of pipe sections and convey one section at a time to therotation mechanism for processing by the hydrodemolition apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows the boom 19 including its working end 22 introduced intothe section of pipe 10 and illustrates a layer of urethane 16 and rubber14 that has yet to be removed.

A typical liner removal operation commences with the working end 22 ofthe boom 19 and the nozzle assembly 20 disposed at the distal end 90 ofthe pipe 10. The support wheels 32 rest on the innermost liner 14 of thepipe 10. The high pressure water spray from the nozzles 42, 44, 46impinges on the surface of the liner 14. Due to the angle of thenozzles, any reflected water and removed liner are directedpreferentially rearward away from the boom (“downstream”) and out thedistal end 90 of the pipe 10. The pipe simultaneously revolves about thenozzle assembly 20 allowing an entire circumferential swath of liner tobe removed from the pipe by the nozzle assembly. As the axis of rotationof the wheels 32 is parallel to the axis of rotation of the pipe 10, thesupport wheels 32 turn and track along the inner circumference of thepipe, allowing the pipe 10 to revolve around the working end 22 of theboom and allowing the working end of the boom to remain in a staticorientation. As the pipe 10 revolves around the boom 19, the supportstructure 24 is drawn away from the pipe 10 thereby withdrawing the boom19 and the nozzle assembly 20 from the distal end 90 of the pipe, andthereby allowing the removal of liner to progress along the inside ofthe pipe. By controlling the speed of retraction of the boom 19 and thespeed of rotation of the pipe 10, an optimal removal of liner isachieved while also allowing the support wheels 32 and any additionalbracing wheels 36, 38, 40 that may be in contact with the liner togradually progress longitudinally of the pipe without being draggedsideways along the liner.

As the nozzles remain angled away from the boom in a downstreamdirection, any removed liner and water is expelled toward the distal end90 of the pipe, until the working end of the boom eventually reaches theproximal end 92 of the pipe and all of the liner has been removed.

When the boom has almost reached the proximal end 92 of the pipe, thewheels 32, 36, 38, 40 will exit the pipe before the nozzle assembly 20does. Absent any other arrangements, the working end 22 of the boomwould no longer be supported by the inside of the pipe 10 although thenozzles 42, 46, 48 will not yet have removed all of the liner at thenear end of the pipe. In order to accommodate this, and as illustratedin FIG. 5, an exit support platform 100 is provided adjacent the distalend of the pipe to receive the support wheels 32 and to take the weightof the working end 22 of the boom 19 once the wheels exit the pipe.Referring to FIG. 7, the exit support platform 100 comprises flatsurfaces 102, 104, 106 corresponding in orientation and location to thesides of the pipe that the wheels would otherwise be rolling on.Accordingly, the support wheels 32 along with any other wheels 36, 38,40 that may be in contact with the pipe wall ride (albeit sideways) ontothe support platform 100 to take the weight of the working end of theboom.

According to the preferred embodiment, in order to minimize the stresson the wheels as they move onto the platform surfaces 102, 104, 106, aremovable or retractable wheel 108 is provided on the bottom of theworking end 22 of the boom. The removable or retractable wheel 108, whendeployed, has an axis of rotation that is transverse to the longitudinalaxis 34 of the boom 19 allowing the wheel 108 to be rolled on a surfacein that longitudinal direction. The use of such wheel 108 facilitatesthe introduction of the working end of the boom 19 into a new pipe to betreated until the support wheels 32 can engage the liner surface of thenew pipe section. The wheel 108 is then removed or retracted to allowthe support wheels 32 to take the weight of the boom. A suitable flatbottom surface 104 is provided on the exit support platform 100 toaccommodate rolling of the removable or retractable wheel 108, andflange portions 110, 112 are provided on the surface 104 to maintain thewheel 108 within a track on the support platform 100.

In an embodiment, wheel 108 is selectively orientable so that its axisof rotation may be either parallel to the longitudinal axis 34 of theboom, in which case it can roll along the inner circumference of thepipe, or transverse to the axis 34, in which case it can roll directlyalong the surface 104 of the exit support platform 100. As the workingend of the boom exits the pipe, the wheel 108 is re-oriented to allow itto roll onto the surface 104.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention thatincludes a fixed ultra-high pressure nozzle assembly 120 (the “UHPNA”)for removing an underlying liner (in this example rubber 14) that actsas a base for the urethane liner 16, in a single pass of the nozzleassembly 20. According to the preferred embodiment, an arm 122 extendsfrom the nozzle assembly 20 to support an UHPNA 120 and to locate theassembly 120 downstream of the high pressure nozzle assembly 20. As aresult, the ultra-high pressure nozzles impinge on the pipe downstreamof the urethane liner 16 that has already been removed. Referring toFIG. 10, the UHPNA 120 comprises a truncated drum 124. The drum 124 istruncated so as to remove the downstream portion of the drum wall and toretain the upstream portion. The upstream portion of the drum wallprotects the ultra-high nozzles 126, 128, 130, 132 from debris and waterbeing ejected from the operation of the high pressure nozzles 42, 44, 46and being reflected off the pipe while removal of the downstream portionof the drum wall enables any rubber debris or water from the ultra-highpressure nozzles to be directed downstream of the UHPNA 120. It will beappreciated that the same shielding effect can be achieved by structuresand shapes other than a truncated drum.

The UHPNA 120 comprises a mounting bar 134 rotatable within the drum124. Each of the opposed ends of the mounting bar 134 comprises a pairof ultra-high pressure water nozzles 126, 128 and 130, 132. Theultra-high pressure nozzles 126, 128, 130, 132 are slightly angled in aradially outward direction in relation to the rotation axis of themounting bar 134. In operation, the mounting bar 134 spins within thedrum 124 and the pairs of nozzles travel along the inside of theperimeter of the drum. The arm 122 and the drum 124 are located suchthat the UHPNA presents the ultra-high nozzles in close proximity to theinner surface of the pipe 10 so as to effectively remove the rubberliner in the same pass of the nozzle assembly as for the removal of theurethane liner by the high pressure water nozzles.

In the foregoing embodiments, the specific rate of rotation of the pipe,the rate of retraction of the boom from the pipe and the specificpressures to be used for hydrodemolition are controlled to ensuresubstantially full removal of the liner(s) as the pipe revolves whilealso enabling the wheels or rollers 32 (and if they are in contact withthe pipe, wheels 36, 38, 40) to travel along the circumference of thepipe without substantial longitudinal friction.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment has been described asinvolving wheels, but rollers or other forms of rotating contracts areintended to be captured by the term “roller” in this disclosure and inthe claims.

In another aspect, the support wheel or roller that support the boom endmay be any support that is adapted to roll circumferentially of theinside of the pipe. It will be appreciated that certain bearingmechanisms provide such ability without necessarily being characterizedas wheels or rollers having given axis of rotation.

In another embodiment, wheels 32 and/or wheels 36, 38, 40 and 108 arereplaced with skids or skis oriented in the direction of displacementcorresponding to that of the wheels. In the case of wheels 32, 36, 38,40 skids or skis are oriented for travel in the circumferentialdirection of the inside of the pipe. Similarly, retractable orre-orientable wheel 108 may be replaced with a retractable orre-orientable skid or ski in a direction corresponding to the intendeddirection of rotation of the wheel 108.

While the preferred embodiment has been described as a high pressurenozzle assembly for removing a first outer layer of a material and adownstream ultra-high pressure nozzle assembly for removing an innerlayer of material, it is within the scope of the present invention toprovide an ultra-high pressure nozzle assembly upstream of a highpressure nozzle assembly. In selecting the specific arrangement asbetween two nozzle assemblies of different pressures, operationalparameters such as the number of nozzles and their distance from theliner to be removed may be varied to achieve the desired removal of aliner using a particular configuration.

Other variations of the embodiments without necessarily departing fromthe broadest aspects of the invention may include for example the numberof nozzles arrayed about the working end of the boom, the specificangles of the nozzles, the shape and structure of the boom, thedisplacement mechanism for the boom, the details of the exit platform,and the means of supporting and actuating rotation of the pipe section.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments thereof. However, the scope of theclaims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth inthe examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistentwith the description as a whole. The specification and drawings are,accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictivesense.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for removing an inside liner from a pipe byhydrodemolition using pressurized water, said pipe having a proximal endand a distal end, comprising: mounting said pipe on a support structurefor rotation of the pipe about its longitudinal axis; providing anelongated boom having at least one pressurized water nozzle at a firstend of the boom, the boom and nozzle being insertable into said pipe;inserting said first end of the boom into said pipe and supporting anopposite end of the boom outside said pipe such that said boom isaligned axially with the longitudinal axis of the pipe; supporting thefirst end of the boom on the liner inside the pipe on at least oneroller having an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe pipe; simultaneously: revolving the pipe about its longitudinal axison its support structure; producing a pressurized water spray from thenozzle in a fixed direction in relation to said boom to disintegrate theliner by hydrodemolition; retracting said boom from said pipe as saidroller rolls circumferentially about the inside of said revolving pipe;using a rate of rotation of the pipe in relation to a speed ofretraction of the boom to ensure removal of the liner as the piperevolves while also enabling the roller to travel along a circumferenceof the pipe.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said fixed direction is atan angle between the longitudinal axis of the pipe and a radialdirection of said pipe and toward said first end of the pipe so as toeject the liner and water toward said distal end of the pipe.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising: prior to said step of insertingsaid boom into said pipe, supporting said first end of the boom on theliner at said proximal end of the pipe by means of at least one supportroller having an axis of rotation that is transverse to a longitudinalaxis of the boom; inserting said first end of the boom into the proximalend of the pipe and toward said distal end while rolling said supportroller along said liner; and, prior to said step of simultaneouslyrevolving the pipe, removing said support roller from contact with saidliner or changing an axis of rotation of said support roller to beingparallel to said longitudinal axis of the boom.
 4. The method of claim 1further comprising the step of: as said first end of said boom exitssaid pipe, providing an exit platform having a surface for supportingsaid at least one roller.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said exitplatform further comprises at least one additional support surface forsupporting an additional roller provided on said end of said boom.